Meetings

When do I get a say about Corporation decisions?

Owners get to participate in Corporation decisions at general meetings when all owners can attend, speak and vote. Owners can also request things to be included on general meeting agendas. If you have something to bring up at your next Corporation meeting, contact your Manager to have it included in the next agenda.

How often are general meetings held?

General meetings are held at least once per year (the annual general meeting). Extra general meetings can be held whenever necessary if the Committee decides to do so or enough owners want one to be held.

When does the annual general meeting need to be held?

The annual general meeting should be held around the anniversary of the first general meeting of the owners. However, most States do allow flexibility so that it can be up to 2 months earlier or later.

How much notice will I get for a general meeting?

The amount of notice given prior to a general meeting will depend on which State you are in. Most States require 14 days notice for general meetings or 21 days if they include special or unanimous resolutions. In Queensland 21 days notice is required for all general meetings. On top of the notice time, you will also need to allow for posting delays.

What will I get with my meeting notice?

The meeting notice will include; details of the time, date and place of the meeting, the agenda, relevant reports such as financial statements, budgets, insurance summaries, etc, a proxy form and/or voting papers as well as general information about the meeting.

What quorum is needed for a general meeting?

This depends on which State you’re in. In Victoria and Northern Territory and for South Australian Strata Corporations a quorum of 50% of the total votes is needed. In South Australia Community Corporations a quorum is half the owners entitled to vote. In Queensland a quorum is a quarter the owners entitled to vote.

What happens if a quorum is not achieved at a general meeting?

This depends on which State you’re in. In Victoria and Northern Territory, when there isn’t a quorum, the general meeting can proceed but all decisions have interim status until they are circulated to owners and 28 days elapse without objections from more than 25% of owners. In South Australia the meeting must be reconvened within 7 to 14 days and can proceed at that time regardless of the number of owners present. In Queensland the meeting must be reconvened in 7 days and can proceed at that time regardless of the number of owners present.

What is an ordinary or majority resolution?

Most decisions in general meetings are decided by ordinary resolutions (sometimes called majority resolutions), which are simple majority votes. An ordinary resolution is passed if there are more votes cast in favour than against.

What is a special resolution?

Some decisions in general meetings need to be decided by special resolutions. A special resolution is passed if more than 3/4 of votes cast are in favour of the decision.

What is a resolution without dissent?

A resolution without dissent is essentially when no one voting against an issue. Some of the more important decisions in general meetings need a resolution without dissent. This can vary according to State, however, generally a resolution without dissent will pass if no one votes against the decision and at least 1 person votes in favour. Check with your Corporation Manager whether resolutions without dissent apply in your State for certain issues.

What is a unanimous resolution?

When an issue is of great importance for a Corporation, it may require a unanimous resolution to pass. A unanimous resolution is passed if all lot owners vote in favour of the decision. It can be very hard to get a unanimous resolution.

How are votes at general meeting counted?

Votes at general meetings are counted as one vote per lot so each owner has an equal vote. However, if an owner calls a poll, then the votes must be counted according to the unit entitlement or lot entitlements, which can change the result.